Again, they are tumbling along, the years shifting as Marko is now Charles's stepfather but the man is not alone. He brought an older boy, his child from a previous marriage, the large and physically imposing Cain. Charles' opposite in almost every measure, Cain is the spitting image of young masculine vigor and aggression, with his blonde hair and green eyes, Sharon dotes on Cain.
But for all the attention she gives Kurt's son, Kurt is paying less and less attention to Sharon. He has her money, he has no need for her and his thoughts are ugly about her. As easily as Shaw shot Erik's mother, so too is Kurt as dismissive of Sharon Xavier and Charles can't block any of his stepfather's nastiness from his head.
At least, not at first. At the tail end of the age of eight, Charles has begun to truly learn to shield because if he doesn't, Kurt's mind will drive him insane. In fact, just before his eleventh birthday ... Charles goes a little mad.
...
The abuse had started within the first six months of Kurt and Cain moving into the manor and for the first year, it's ... small things. Charles doesn't respond to a request fast enough and Kurt pops him on the ear or across the jaw. Charles touches one of Cain's toys and the older boy knocks him down and rabbit punches him in the gut.
After one incident where Charles had knocked into Cain's new bike -and God he'd tried so hard to avoid it but he was still awkward on his own bike- and Cain jumped on him, beating his head against the gravel as Kurt cheered him on, Charles had gone to his mother. Dazed, his cheek scrapped and bleeding when the gravel had cut into his skin, Charles picked himself up and did the one thing he hated to do most in the world.
He went looking for Sharon.
She'd been furious; at him. As the vodka bottle -this one mostly empty- exploded against the door frame just to his right, Charles had realized with stark finality that his mother was in no position to protect him. As he watched her crumple to the floor in tears, a wave of pity washed through him and he went over to her, apologizing and helping her get to her feet and her chaise lounge.
It would not be the last time, he would have to pick her up.
Life took on a surreal quality for the next three years, as Sharon vacillated between the queen of her social circle in upstate New York and a falling down drunk at home. Kurt only grew more disgusted with her, effectively abandoning her in that big house, taking mistress after mistress as a matter of course, bringing them into Charles' house, fucking them where Charles would walk in on them.
Charles tried to protect Sharon but at ten ...
And at ten, Raven arrived.
Raven who became Charles' beloved playmate, someone his age who didn't beat him or yell at him and Charles is fiercely protective of Raven, keeping her shielded from Sharon, Kurt and Cain. It is in this year that Charles stops sleeping more than a couple of hours at a time as he desperately pushing the boundaries of his powers. He must protect Raven.
Its just before his eleventh birthday when he hears Kurt shouting and Raven crying.
Fear, fear, FEAR explodes in the dream and across the bond -and sorry Erik, you've been getting everything from Charles in this- and he's running down the hall to the room where Raven sleeps.
Kurt is there, shaking her, yelling at her and she's changed to blue and Kurt is murderous his hand closed around her thin throat choking her, killing her.
Charles bellows and plows into his much large stepfather, knocking all three of them down.
"Raven run, run, RUN," he's screaming at her, projecting, at her and she bolts as if the hounds of hell were at her heels. Charles grabs Kurt's mind, scrabbling desperately through it, artless and the man is screaming and punching at Charles, his large hands grabbing at Charles' throat.
Charles finds all of Kurt's memories of Raven, blessedly they're at the front of his mind and he wipes them all. There is no remorse in the act, he rips them out of the man's mind as if he cut off Kurt's hand and the now illogical pain drives Kurt mad and he's punching and throttling Charles but Charles doesn't care.
2/2
But for all the attention she gives Kurt's son, Kurt is paying less and less attention to Sharon. He has her money, he has no need for her and his thoughts are ugly about her. As easily as Shaw shot Erik's mother, so too is Kurt as dismissive of Sharon Xavier and Charles can't block any of his stepfather's nastiness from his head.
At least, not at first. At the tail end of the age of eight, Charles has begun to truly learn to shield because if he doesn't, Kurt's mind will drive him insane. In fact, just before his eleventh birthday ... Charles goes a little mad.
...
The abuse had started within the first six months of Kurt and Cain moving into the manor and for the first year, it's ... small things. Charles doesn't respond to a request fast enough and Kurt pops him on the ear or across the jaw. Charles touches one of Cain's toys and the older boy knocks him down and rabbit punches him in the gut.
After one incident where Charles had knocked into Cain's new bike -and God he'd tried so hard to avoid it but he was still awkward on his own bike- and Cain jumped on him, beating his head against the gravel as Kurt cheered him on, Charles had gone to his mother. Dazed, his cheek scrapped and bleeding when the gravel had cut into his skin, Charles picked himself up and did the one thing he hated to do most in the world.
He went looking for Sharon.
She'd been furious; at him. As the vodka bottle -this one mostly empty- exploded against the door frame just to his right, Charles had realized with stark finality that his mother was in no position to protect him. As he watched her crumple to the floor in tears, a wave of pity washed through him and he went over to her, apologizing and helping her get to her feet and her chaise lounge.
It would not be the last time, he would have to pick her up.
Life took on a surreal quality for the next three years, as Sharon vacillated between the queen of her social circle in upstate New York and a falling down drunk at home. Kurt only grew more disgusted with her, effectively abandoning her in that big house, taking mistress after mistress as a matter of course, bringing them into Charles' house, fucking them where Charles would walk in on them.
Charles tried to protect Sharon but at ten ...
And at ten, Raven arrived.
Raven who became Charles' beloved playmate, someone his age who didn't beat him or yell at him and Charles is fiercely protective of Raven, keeping her shielded from Sharon, Kurt and Cain. It is in this year that Charles stops sleeping more than a couple of hours at a time as he desperately pushing the boundaries of his powers. He must protect Raven.
Its just before his eleventh birthday when he hears Kurt shouting and Raven crying.
Fear, fear, FEAR explodes in the dream and across the bond -and sorry Erik, you've been getting everything from Charles in this- and he's running down the hall to the room where Raven sleeps.
Kurt is there, shaking her, yelling at her and she's changed to blue and Kurt is murderous his hand closed around her thin throat choking her, killing her.
Charles bellows and plows into his much large stepfather, knocking all three of them down.
"Raven run, run, RUN," he's screaming at her, projecting, at her and she bolts as if the hounds of hell were at her heels. Charles grabs Kurt's mind, scrabbling desperately through it, artless and the man is screaming and punching at Charles, his large hands grabbing at Charles' throat.
Charles finds all of Kurt's memories of Raven, blessedly they're at the front of his mind and he wipes them all. There is no remorse in the act, he rips them out of the man's mind as if he cut off Kurt's hand and the now illogical pain drives Kurt mad and he's punching and throttling Charles but Charles doesn't care.
Raven's safe...